Donna Lucas
About Donna L. Lucas
Donna L. Lucas, 65, has served as an independent director of Five Star Bancorp since 2021. She is the Founder and CEO of Lucas Public Affairs (LPA) (est. 2006); in May 2024 LPA was acquired by Public Policy Holding Company, Inc. (LSE: PPHC), with Lucas continuing as CEO. Her background spans strategic communications and senior public-sector roles including Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Planning for Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Chief of Staff for First Lady Maria Shriver, with earlier roles under Governor George Deukmejian, State Treasurer Tom Hayes, and the 1988 Vice President George H.W. Bush presidential campaign . She serves on FSBC’s Compensation Committee and is classified as independent under Nasdaq/SEC rules .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lucas Public Affairs (LPA) | Founder & Chief Executive Officer | 2006–present; LPA acquired by PPHC (LSE: PPHC) in May 2024; Lucas remains CEO | Strategic communications leadership; continuity through acquisition |
| Nelson Communications (acquired by Omnicom in 2000) | Chief Executive Officer | Through 2000 acquisition | Led firm to sale; transitioned to Porter Novelli as Global Partner/Public Affairs Practice Leader |
| Porter Novelli | Global Partner & Public Affairs Practice Leader | Post-2000 | Led public affairs practice post-acquisition |
| State of California (Gov. Schwarzenegger) | Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Planning & Initiatives | NA | Senior executive government role |
| First Lady Maria Shriver | Chief of Staff | NA | Senior staff leadership |
| State of California (Gov. Deukmejian) | Deputy Press Secretary | NA | Government communications |
| State Treasurer Tom Hayes | Deputy Treasurer | NA | State finance office role |
| 1988 Presidential Campaign (George H.W. Bush) | California Press Secretary | 1988 | Campaign communications |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| California Chamber of Commerce | Chair (past) | NA | Lucas previously chaired; CEO Beckwith joined CalChamber’s board in 2024 (network interlock) |
| College Futures Foundation | Chair | NA | Current chair role |
| Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) | Director (2007–2019); Board Chair (2013–2016); Statewide Leadership Council member | 2007–2019; 2013–2016; current Leadership Council | Ongoing policy leadership |
| Scripps Institution of Oceanography | Board member | NA | Non-profit/academic |
| John Burton Advocates for Youth | Board member | NA | Non-profit |
| She Shares | Founding member | NA | Women leaders conversation series |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Compensation Committee member; Committee met four regular times in 2024; members (Riggs–Chair, Lucas, Ramos) are all independent under Nasdaq/SEC rules .
- Independence: Board affirms independence for committee members; majority independent overall .
- Attendance and engagement:
- 2024: Board met 8 times; each director attended ≥75% of board/committee meetings except Shannon Deary-Bell (73%)—implies Lucas met the ≥75% threshold; all 11 directors attended the 2024 annual meeting .
- 2023: Board met 8 times; each director attended ≥75%; all 12 directors attended the 2023 annual meeting .
- 2022: Board met 7 times; each director attended ≥75%; all 12 directors attended the 2022 annual meeting .
- 2021: Board met 14 times; each director attended ≥75%; all 10 attended the 2021 annual meeting .
| Committee | Role | Independence | 2024 Meetings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compensation Committee | Member | Independent (Nasdaq/SEC) | 4 regular; 0 special |
Fixed Compensation (Director)
| Metric (USD) | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash Fees Earned | $40,461 | $41,500 | $41,750 |
| Stock Awards (grant-date fair value) | $35,996 | $35,992 | $35,987 |
| Total | $76,457 | $77,492 | $77,737 |
Director pay structure (current): $3,000 monthly retainer; $500 monthly for committee participation; chair fees per month—Board Chair $3,000; Audit Chair $1,250; Loan Chair $1,000; Compensation Chair $625; Governance & Nominating Chair $625; ALCO Chair $625 .
Performance Compensation (Director Equity)
| Year | Equity Type | Grant/Value | Vesting | Performance Metrics |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Stock awards | Included in $35,996 above | Vesting monthly during year of service | None disclosed (time-based equity for directors) |
| 2023 | Stock awards | Included in $35,992 above | Cliff vest at end of year | None disclosed (time-based equity for directors) |
| 2024 | Stock awards | Included in $35,987 above | Cliff vest at end of year | None disclosed (time-based equity for directors) |
Notes: Values represent grant-date fair value under ASC 718; not actual realized value . Company states it did not grant stock options/SARs in 2024 and has no current practice of doing so .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Current public company directorships: None disclosed in FSBC’s proxy biography for Lucas .
- Notable network ties: Lucas is a past Chair of the California Chamber of Commerce; FSBC CEO Beckwith joined the CalChamber board in 2024 (potential information-network overlap, not a conflict) .
- Compensation Committee interlocks: Company discloses no interlocks/insider participation for 2024 (no member is/was an officer; no reciprocal comp committee relationships) .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Strategic communications and public affairs expertise through LPA and prior senior government roles .
- Community and policy governance experience (CalChamber Chair; College Futures Foundation Chair; PPIC board/Chair; oceanography and youth advocacy boards) .
- Recognitions: Sacramento Businesswoman of the Year (2018); routinely listed in Capitol Weekly “Top 100” .
- Board role aligned to human capital/comp oversight as Compensation Committee member .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beneficially Owned Shares | 3,825 | 5,963 | 12,076 |
| Ownership % of Outstanding | <1% | <1% | <1% |
| Notes | NA | NA | Includes 1,165 unvested RSAs not vesting within 60 days; shares held in a revocable trust of which Lucas is trustee |
- Hedging/Pledging policy: Company prohibits hedging and pledging of FSBC securities by directors unless the board approves an exception . No pledging is disclosed for Lucas in ownership footnotes .
Related-Party Exposure and Conflicts
- Policy framework: Related-party transactions require board approval and must be on arm’s-length terms; Regulation O and Sections 23A/23B apply; Audit Committee oversees approvals (non-loan) .
- Ordinary banking relationships: Aggregate loans to directors/executives and affiliates totaled ~$14.5 million outstanding as of 12/31/2024; none were nonaccrual/past due/restructured . Recipients are not itemized; no specific Lucas-related loan disclosed .
- 2024 equity offering participant list includes purchases by Allbaugh/affiliates, Perry-Smith, Deary-Bell, Ramos; Lucas is not listed among purchasers .
- No related-party transaction involving Lucas is disclosed in the proxy’s transactions list for the period since 1/1/2023 .
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness: Lucas is an independent director with consistent attendance (≥75%) and active service on the Compensation Committee, which met four times in 2024 and is empowered to use independent advisors; independence affirmed under Nasdaq/SEC rules .
- Alignment: Director compensation is modest and balanced between cash and time-based equity, with stable year-over-year totals (~$76k–$78k) and no option grants; structure includes committee retainers rather than meeting fees, which reduces meeting-count distortions .
- Ownership: Beneficial ownership increased to 12,076 shares (<1%); includes unvested RSAs; no pledging disclosed; company prohibits hedging/pledging absent board exception, supporting alignment .
- Conflicts: LPA’s sale to PPHC in 2024 keeps Lucas as CEO; while not a disclosed conflict, investors should monitor any future FSBC engagements with LPA/PPHC for potential related-party considerations; none are disclosed to date .
- Interlocks: No compensation committee interlocks; a benign network tie exists via the California Chamber of Commerce (Lucas past Chair; CEO Beckwith joined board in 2024) .
Overall signal: Independent, engaged, and governance-appropriate director with deep communications and policy expertise. Pay structure is conservative and time-based; ownership is positive albeit modest; no disclosed conflicts or red flags tied to Lucas, but post-acquisition relationships (LPA/PPHC) warrant routine monitoring in future related-party disclosures .